Symbiosis
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Set right after Second City. Harry gets the courage to ask Murphy out on a date. And things actually turn out well. Maybe there is something there after all.


_Symbiosis_

Harry watched her walk away from the shop and slowly shut the door. What did this mean for him and Murphy now? Could they actually be headed towards a relationship that went beyond work? He wasn't sure why but he pulled the door open and sprinted down the sidewalk after her.

"Murphy!" he called as loudly as he could. The brunette stopped walking and turned around. She raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"You…you want to do dinner?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Murphy looked at him for a minute, contemplating his offer.

"Sure, why not. I'll see you at seven," she responded and continued on her way. Harry smiled to himself as he returned to the shop, closing the front door and flipping the sign to 'closed'. Just as he was about to sit down and relax, Bob appeared through the wall.

"Not now, Bob," Dresden sighed.

"I wasn't aware I was interrupting something," Bob remarked.

"I just need to think. You know…I just asked Murphy to dinner, the wizard commented.

"I see," Bob murmured, starting pace back and forth.

"It's just dinner, though. Nothing more, right?" Harry questioned, panic starting to rise within him. Before Bob could offer an answer, Dresden was up and pacing around.

"Maybe I shouldn't have. She almost lost her father last night. She might want some time alone. I've probably screwed everything up," he railed.

"If I may interject," Bob interrupted.

"Why don't you just stop worrying about it and let it happen. Lord knows you couldn't mess it up as much as you have with certain hellspawn in the past," Bob suggested.

"Did you have to bring that up?" Harry spat. Bob just shrugged.

"And everything turned out fine," Dresden grumbled as an afterthought. The wizard's gaze caught sight of the clock. It was still early enough that he could go back to bed. No one was going to bother him. At least he hoped not.

"I'm…going upstairs," he finally announced and headed up the stairs and towards his bedroom.

"Do you really think sulking about; contemplating the endless possibilities of failure is going to do you any good?" Bob called after him.

"Don't make me put you back in your skull, Bob," Dresden shot back and slammed the door to his bedroom.

Harry lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to will his mind to sleep. It was a much harder feat than he had anticipated. His mind kept whirring, thinking about Murphy and how close she'd come to getting hurt by Munzer. He couldn't help but feel guilty for all the times he'd put her in danger. It's why he'd wanted to stop working with her, right? But was it really that he didn't want to get her hurt? Maybe he was a little scared too. Why did things with Murphy have to be so damn complicated?

'Because you're a wizard and that makes everything more complicated' he thought to himself.

This was getting him nowhere. He wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon, not with his mind racing. Frustrated, Harry sat back up and ran a hand through his hair. He took several breaths to try and focus himself and decided that perhaps a shower was in order. It would at least take up some time.

Twenty minutes later Dresden emerged from the shower. He had to admit he felt refreshed and his nerves were less frantic. He sauntered back into his room; towel wrapped around his waist and began hunting for something decent to wear. He stepped out of his closet and nearly collided with Bob.

"Don't do that!" Dresden gasped, slightly shaken by the feeling of momentarily occupying the same space as the ghost.

"Do forgive me Harry. But you have a visitor," Bob announced, watching as Harry walked around him. Harry didn't say anything right away. He merely pulled on his pants, tossing the towel behind him onto the bed.

"And who would this visitor be? The sign said closed," Dresden finally asked.

"Well…it's Morgan," the ghost replied. Harry groaned. Couldn't he get a break from the High Council?

"Did he say what he wants?" Harry questioned, pulling a shirt on. Bob was about to answer when Harry just shook his head and walked past him.

"Never mind," Dresden mumbled as he took the stairs two a time. He found Morgan standing impatiently in the front of the store.

"Morgan. What have I done now to piss of the High Council?" Dresden asked as he stepped of the last stair.

"Ancient Mai merely sent me to congratulate you on catching Munzer," Morgan answered coolly.

"Yeah…sure she did. Why are you here? If you didn't notice the sign says closed," Dresden retorted, pointing to the front door.

"You're a wizard, Dresden. You don't get days off," Morgan snickered.

"Look…I have some personal things to take care of. So if you don't have any other reason to be here than to annoy me, then please leave," Harry sighed.

"Just watch yourself, Dresden. Wouldn't want to fall into old habits," Morgan muttered as he disappeared.

Dresden just shook his head. You practice black magic once and you're pegged as a bad guy for the rest of your life. He knew it was useless to try and argue with Morgan anyone else affiliated with the High Council. He was on record for having killed his Uncle with black magic and there was apparently nothing he could do about it.

"Care to talk about it, Harry?" Bob asked, appearing partially through a wall.

"No. He's just making sure I haven't gone off the deep end," Harry mumbled. Without another word, Dresden grabbed his jacket and headed for the front door.

"Now where are you going?" Bob called after him.

"For a walk," Harry replied over his shoulder as the door closed behind him with a jingle. Bob just watched Harry go. He had to admit that he felt bad for Harry. The High Council always down his neck about one thing or another. And of course Murphy was another issue all unto herself. With a shake of his head, Bob disappeared back through the wall.

Harry wandered through the park for what felt like hours. The fresh air filled his lungs and seemed to once more calm him down. He should be used to Morgan's unannounced intrusions by now. The next time he checked his watch it read 4:55. He had a little more than two hours left before he met Murphy for dinner. Dresden figured he should head back to the shop, so as not worry Bob. Just as he walked through the door Bob appeared.

"There is a message for you," Bob informed the wizard. Dresden merely nodded and hit the button on the answering machine.

"Dresden, it's Murphy," the message began. Harry's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't calling to cancel was she?

"I just wanted to let you know that I have to drop Anna off at her father's so I'll be running a little late for dinner," Murphy's message concluded. Harry heaved a noticeable sigh of relief.

"Well that's one possible failure averted," Bob muttered snidely.

"Bob you are _this_ close to going back in your skull," Dresden threatened. Bob just raised an eyebrow behind Harry's back.

"Just trying to allay your worries," Bob murmured with a shrug.

The next hour passed by slowly and Harry had nearly fallen asleep when there was a sharp knock on the front door. Harry sat up from the couch and looked to see Murphy standing there. He checked his watch. It read 7:08. He quickly grabbed his keys, wallet and jacket and met her outside.

"Sorry I'm late," Murphy apologized.

"Nothing to be sorry for. You called ahead of time," Harry replied giving her a small smile. With that he helped her into his jeep and they headed down the street. They drove in silence to their usual haunt. Dresden grabbed them a table in the back and waited for menus.

"So did you Dad get back to Florida?" Harry asked as the waitress appeared with glasses of water and menus.

"Yeah. Landed early afternoon," Murphy replied, opening her menu.

"Good. Glad he's alright. Hopefully the traveling wasn't too stressful," Harry muttered. Being revived that close to the brink of death could leave a person really drained.

"He said he took it fine. Thanks for being there with me last night," Murphy said, taking Harry's hand in hers.

"Anytime. I'm sorry I had to drag you into all of that though. I promise it's the last case," Dresden tried to say.

"Harry, you know that I can't handle all the freaky cases without you. And besides you need the money," Connie interrupted.

"Symbiosis," Harry muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Murphy asked the waitress returned to take their orders.

"Oh nothing," Harry lied. They tossed small talk back and forth while they waited for their food. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. It felt sort of natural.

"Here you go," the waitress said as she placed their meals on the table.

"So…" Harry began, taking a bite of chicken.

"Can I ask you something?" Murphy blurted. Harry nodded.

"So…Bob is a ghost. But why can't he leave the shop? Aren't ghosts just souls that didn't move on?" she asked.

"Well…Bob was a wizard too…a sorcerer really. He broke one of the seven laws of magic…and as punishment was banished to live in his skull for eternity. So….he goes where his skull goes," Dresden explained in a hushed voice. He didn't like to talk about magic in public. You never know where a Warden for the High Council could be lurking.

"That must be really depressing for him," Murphy commented.

"He's gotten used to it. He's been bound to the skull for centuries," Harry muttered as he continued to eat.

They fell into companionable silence once more as they finished eating. While Dresden was slightly disturbed that Murphy was asking about Bob, he figured it was better than talking real work. Half an hour later Dresden pulled up in front of the shop, right next to Murphy's car.

"You sure you don't want me to drive you home?" he offered.

"No. I'm good," Murphy replied with a small laugh as they both climbed out.

"I had fun tonight," she said, taking Harry by the hand again.

"Me too," Harry agreed just as she leaned in and kissed him. Her hands released his and wrapped around his neck. Harry smiled inwardly to himself. So maybe there was something more. He let one hand cup her cheek. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Bob spying on them from the front store window. He glared at the ghost who just smiled before disappearing.

"I'll call you. And who knows, maybe it won't be work related for once," Murphy chuckled as she pulled her keys from her purse and climbed into her car.

"I'll be waiting," he called as he waved her off.


End file.
